Roller screen



July 12, 1932. 'E D ARTHUR 1,866,788

ROLLER SCREEN Filed Deo. l2, 1930 n mi "l i@ INVENTOR., w w: g 1l 7 CSMAJ Mq 17 2go Z3 32 3 i lg BY Wow-Tf 1 ATTORNEYS.

Patented July 12, 1932 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE EDWARD D. ARTHUR, OF PALO ALTO, CALIFORNIA, ASSIGNOR TO ARTH'U'R'METAL PROIVd UCTS COMPANY LTD., OF SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA, A CORPORATION F CALI- FORNIA ROLLER SCREEN Application led December 12, 1930. Serial No. 501,859.

My invention relates to window screens of the spring-roller type.

The principal objects of the invention are to provide a screen which is cheap to manufacture and easy to install and operate; which can be drawn down, to cover thewindow, with one hand, and which will automatically latch when so drawn down; which, when latched in drawn down or closed position,

10 will be firmly held in close contact with the 2 in said claims.

A preferred embodiment of the invention Will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawing, wherein Fig. 1 is a partly broken front elevation of my screen as applied to a window, showino the screen in closed position.

ig. 2 is a side elevation showing the lefthand end of the roller housing and the upper portion of the guide.

Fig. 3 is a vertical section of the latch mechanism, taken on the line 3 3 of Fig. 1.

Figs. 4 and 5 are horizontal sections taken on the respective lines 4 4 and 5 5 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 6 is a transverse section of the roller.

In the drawing, the reference numeral 1 designates the window frame, and 2 is the sash. 3 is a spring actuated roller, upon which the screen 4 is Wound. 5 is a housing Within which the roller is mounted, said housing having end plates 6 to which it is secured, preferably by means of bent over tongues 7. The roller is secured to heads 8, Which are journaled upon a central shaft 9. One end of the spring 10 is secured to said shaft at 11, and the other end is secured at 12 to the right hand head 8 and thereby to the roller 3. One end of the shaft 9 is rotatably mounted in the right hand housing end plate 6, and the other end is secured to an adjusting member 13 which is relatively adjustable in the left hand end plate, as

shown in Fig. 2. 1 Tongues 14, projecting inwardly from the adjusting member 13, engage notches or slots 15 in said end plate, to prevent said member from turning under the action of the spring 10. rEhus, by rotating the member 13, with a suitable Wrench or tool, the tension of the spring lOcan be Vadjusted after the roller is assembled in its housing.

The screen is preferably attached to the roller as shown in Fig. 6. The roller 3 is formed by bending a sheet of steel or other suitable material into tubular form with its edges overlapping, and the end of the screen 4 is inserted between said edges, as indicated at 16. The resilience of the roller tube causes said edges to grip the end of the screen firmly, and as a further precaution,

said edges and the end of the screen may be Vspot-welded, if desired, as shown at 16.

The lower end of the screen is secured to a rigid horizontal bar 17 of L-shaped section, the bottom flange of which extends forwardly and abuts against the window sill when the screen is drawn down or closed. A strip of spring material 18, having the shape shown in Fig. 3, is placed against the back or outside of the bar 17. The upper edge of said spring strip is bentback upon itself, as is the lower edge of the screen, and the two are interlocked. lllhen the spring strip 18 is secured to the bar by means to be described later, the screen is firmly clamped therebetween, and in order to hold the entire assembly permanently together, I prefer to spot Weld near the upper edge of the bar 17, such welds being indicated at 18a in Fig. 1.

The ends 17 of the bar 17, and the ends 18 of the upperportion of the spring strip i. e. that portion within which the screen is clamped, travel in guide channels 19, formed of metal bent into the box like cross section shown in Figs. 4 and 5, with a guide slot 2O formed by inwardly turned edges. The eX- treme end of the bar is bent at right angles, as shown at 21, thus forming a guard lug to prevent the ends of said bar from being pulled out of the guides if one end is accidentally raised above the other. The side edges of the screen also travel in said guides, and lie within them when the screen is closed. The guides 19 are made in two telescoping sections. The upper sections 19 are secured to the roller housing 5, and are preferably integral with its end plates 6, as shown in Figs. 1 and 2. The lower sections are straight and of uniform section throughout. In order to secure the guides to the window frame, I provide their rear faces with keyhole slots 22, which may be slipped over and engaged with bolts 23 extending through the window frame members 1. This provides a simple and quick means for installing the screen structure on metal frame windows of the usual construction. The holes for the bolts 23 are first drilled in the window frame members 1, being located by a template suited to that particular size of window. The bolts are then inserted in said holes and their nuts 24 screwed loosely upon their ends. The lower guide sections 19 are then telescoped over the upper sections 19', and their keyhole slots slipped over and behind the heads of said bolts. The low-er guide sections are `then moved downwardly until their ends rest upon the window sill, and the roller housing and upper guide sections are moved upwardly to proper position. Finally, the nuts 24 are tightened, securing the entire assembly to the window frame. The key-hole slots 22 in the upper guide sections are reversed from those in the lower sections, as shown in Fig. 1, so that they engage the heads of the bolts when the sections are drawn apart. For securing the guides to wooden frame windows, I provide holes 25 in their sides for wood screws 25', as shown in Figs. 2 and 4. These may or may not be used with the bolts 23 on metal frame windows, as desired.

The latches for securing the screen in closed position are important features of my invention. There are two such latches, one near each end of the bar 17, and their operation is generally similar to that of the latches shown in my copending application Serial No. 402,207, filed Oct. 26, 1929, Patent No. 1,834,371, issued Dec. 1,1931, to the extent that they engage automatically when the screen is closed, so that this operation can be performed with one hand, by merely pulling downwardly on the central region of said bar 17. The present latches are an improvement over those of my said co-pending application, however; in that they wedge the bar tightly against the window sill, so that it cannot rattle or leave a crack to allow insects to enter beneath it.

Each latch comprises a substantially fiat plate 26 hinged at its lower portion to the face of the bar 17 and having a forwardly projecting upper portion forming a handle t, 27. The lower portion has rearwardly bent @J ears 28 pivoted upon Va horizontal pin 29,

plate, assembling the telescoping guide porgtions, slipping their keyhole slots over the bolt heads, and tightening the bolts.

which is supported by ears 30 extending forwardly from a small plate 31 (Fig. 3) secured to the face of the bar 17. A spring, preferably in the form of a coil 32 (Fig. 4) surrounding the pin 29, presses the latch 26 70 outwardly. The supporting plate 31 has rearwardly extending ears 33 (Fig. 3) which extend through the bar 17 and are clamped over a stop plate 34 lying against the rear face thereof. This stop plate extends upwardly through an aperture 35 (Fig. 4) in the spring strip 18, and its upper end is bent horizontally rearwardly, as shown at 34, to act as a stop by abutting against the bottom of the roller housing 5 when the screen is 80 rolled up or opened. The clamping together,

by means of the bent ears 33, of the plates 31 and 34, on opposite sides of the bar 17, assists in clamping the spring strip 18 and the lower end of said screen to said bar, as shown in Fig. 3.

The latch plate 26 has a lateral or end extension 36 with an outwardly bent and rounded terminal portion 37 adapted to engage an inclined keeper 38 secured to the lower end of o the guide 19, preferably by a bolt or screw 39 extending into the window frame member 1. The latch is entirely outside of the channel of the guide, and is therefore not likely to"Y be clogged yby paint when the window frame is painted. The angle of engagement between the latch finger 37 and the keeper 38 provides a wedging action, so that the closer down upon the window sill that the bar 17 is M pressedthe more and tighter the latch engages. Hence there is no play or rattling, and the bar 17, if pressed down tight upon the sill, will be securely held so by the latch. A resilient weather strip 40, Fig. 3, is clampedM between the lower edge of the spring strip 18 105 and the bar 17, to further prevent. any possible crack between said bar and the sill.

It is to be noted that my screen can be manufactured, assembled, and installedV quickly and cheaply. Almost all its parts are made of pressed metal, preferably steel. rlhe roller housing, roller, screen and bottom bar assembly can be made in stock sizes and assembled at the factory. The guides are T r also made in stock lengths with bolt and screw holes drilled or punched at the factory. Installing is merely a matter of drilling bolt holes in the window frame according to temly and hold the bar in tight contact wit-h the window sill. To open the screen, the latch handles 27 are grasped, one in each hand, and the latches pressed rearwardly. The latch handles 27 form convenient means for holding the screen and keeping it under control during its upward movement.

1. In a roller screen having a bar secured to its lower end and a channeled guide inV which the end of said bar travels; a latch comprising a substantially flat plate hinged at one edge to said bar and positioned substantially parallel to the face thereof; a keeper associated with the lower end of said guide and positioned exterior thereto; and resilient means for moving said latch into engagement with said keeper.

2. In a roller screen having a bar secured to its lower end, a latch comprising a plate hinged to said bar at its lower edge; a keeper positioned for wedging engagement by said latch; and resilient means for moving said latch into engagement with said keeper.

3. In a roller screen having a bar secured to its lower end, a latch comprising a plate hinged to said bar at its lower edge and provided with a forwardly bent upper portion forming a handle and an end extension; and a keeper positioned for wedging engagement by said extension. v

4. In a roller screen having a bar secured to its lower end, a latch supporting plate positioned adjacent the face of said bar and having lugs extending therethrough; a member positioned adjacent the back of said bar, said lugs clamping said plate and said member against said bar; a latch carried by said plate; and a keeper adapted for engagement by said latch.

5. In a roller screen having a bar secured to its lower end, a latch supporting plate positioned adjacent the face of said bar and having lugs extending therethrough; a member positioned adjacent the back of said bar and having interlocking engagement with said screen; a second member engaged by said lugs to clamp the first member and said screen against said bar; a latch carried by said plate; and a keeper adapted for engagement by said latch.

6. In a roller screen having a bar secured to its lower end; a latch supporting plate mounted upon the face of said bar; a latch hinged to said plate; a keeper adapted for engagement by said latch; a spring strip positioned adjacent the back of said bar, the upper edge of said strip having interlocking engagement with the screen; means for clamping said latch supporting plate7 said bar, and said spring together.

7 In a roller screen having a bar secured to its lower end, a latch supporting plate mounted upon the face of said bar, said plate having forwardly and rearwardly extending lugs, said rearwardly extending lugs passing through said bars to secure said plate thereto; a latch pivotally mounted upon the forwardly extending lugs of said plate and a 

